Canada is a state in North America. It is the second (after Russia) country by area in the world and one of the three washed by three oceans - the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic. In addition, Canada is washed by the Beaufort, Baffin and Labrador Seas .
general information
The name "Canada" in the language of the indigenous people means "small settlement", "village". In the fifteenth century, the so-called Stadacone - a small village near modern Quebec. Canada covers approximately ten million square kilometers. Some publications after the collapse of the USSR recklessly called this country the largest in the world. But this is not so. The area of Canada is one and a half times inferior to the area of Russia. An interesting fact is that this country is comparable in size to the United States and China, but the population here is an order of magnitude, or even two, lower. Judge for yourself, in the United States 307 million people live, and in China - 1.3 billion. Canada can only boast of 33 million, that's it. Moreover, two-thirds of them live in the two hundred-kilometer zone, bordering the United States.
Country border
The borders of Canada stretch from the coast of the Pacific Ocean to the shores of the Atlantic. Their total duration is more than eight thousand kilometers. To be precise, the land dividing strip (including Alaska) is 8893 km. Here is another interesting fact: Canada is the only country in the world that has a land border with only one state - the United States.
Canada area in thousand km2
For lovers of the exact sciences and dry statistics, we give more accurate numbers. So, the state of Canada: the area is 9,970,610 square kilometers; from east to west it reaches 7,700 kilometers; from the north coast to the south - 4600 kilometers; the coastline is 243,791 kilometers. Suitable lands for cultivation of crops occupy only five percent of the total territory of the country, three percent are occupied by pastures, 54 percent are forests and forest plantations. The irrigated area is only 7,100 square kilometers.
Largest cities in Canada
The capital of this state is the city of Ottawa, which is located in Ontario. The largest cities in Canada are: Toronto in Ontario (5.5 million people), Montreal in Quebec (3.6 million), Vancouver in British Columbia (2.1 million), Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta (1 each). million), Quebec (1 million). Other cities do not reach one million inhabitants.
Geographical Information
Despite the fact that the main area of Canada is occupied by lakes and coniferous forests, there are mountains, plains and even desert. Part of the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are covered by the prairie - the Great Plain. It is in this place that the country's main agricultural lands are located. The western part of Canada is widely known for its Rocky Mountains, and the eastern one - Niagara Falls. The north of the country is known for the Canadian Shield - an ancient mountainous region formed more than 2.5 billion years ago, which covers most of the northern region. The Arctic part is represented exclusively by the tundra, in the north it is divided into islands, which are ice-bound all year round. Canada's highest point is Mount Logan Peak. Its height is 5950 meters. Canada is very rich in natural resources. Nickel, zinc, copper, molybdenum, silver, gold, lead, potash, oil and even natural gas are mined here.
Climate and flora
In southern Canada, a small warm subtropical corner is sheltered - this is Vancouver, as well as the winemaking zone - Niagara. The middle zone is characterized by a temperate climate, very similar to the Russian one. Further to the north, a continuous tundra extends. Territories covered with forests abound with very valuable species of wood. Coniferous trees are especially in demand: giant thuja, douglas, balsam fir, white and black spruce, larch. In the southern and southeastern regions, yellow birch, poplar, oak and maple grow, which is a symbol of Canada. Canada is second only to Russia and Brazil in timber reserves, however, if you recount per capita, then it will come first. The tundra is rich in mosses, lichens, flowers and herbs. Lesotundra boasts only dwarf trees. Plains and prairies are covered with feather grass, wormwood and bearded man.
Animal world
Canada has a very diverse wildlife. The fur-bearing animal, which is rich in the taiga zone, has commercial significance (as in Russia). The area of Canada covered with tundra gave shelter to reindeer, tundra wolves, white hares, polar bears, Arctic foxes. Bears, wolves, foxes, lynxes, squirrels, hares, martens, beavers, moose, deer found refuge in dense forests. The steppe regions have practically nothing to brag about - field mice, gophers and moles. On the Arctic islands and lakes, millions of migratory birds feel great. In the reserves of Canada live bison, which were almost exterminated on the American continent by European immigrants. The coastal waters are famous for their rich stocks of fish: in the east they are herring and cod species; and in the west - salmon (chum, pink salmon and chinook salmon).
Political structure
July 1, 1867 Canada became an independent state. On this day, she announced that she was the independent dominion of the British Empire. The form of government in this country is parliamentary democracy, which formally submits to the head of the British Commonwealth. This is the second largest state in the world with a federal structure, it consists of ten independent provinces and three northern territories. This means that each such entity has its own laws, budget and infrastructure. Some of the powers of the territory and the province are delegated to the federal government, which is responsible for a number of general issues, such as foreign policy, defense, and so on. All other issues are resolved locally. Despite the fact that the provinces strive to bring their legislative framework and social programs in line with common principles, differences still remain. And sometimes very significant. The most important thing is that each independent province has its own tax system and budget. Accordingly, individual priorities in spending money in each administrative unit lead to the provision of completely different opportunities for their residents. In this regard, it is very important to choose exactly the city and province that will suit one or another citizen of Canada to the greatest extent. After all, opportunities for life have significant differences.
Conclusion
Canada (the photos in this article will help the reader make up their minds about this country) has a wealth of natural resources. Its technological and economic development took place in parallel with similar processes in the United States, with which it has close relations and a practically unified cultural and economic space. As a result, Canada is one of the most developed countries in the world, demonstrating the best economic indicators among representatives of the G7 economic group in the last decade.